• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Happy Tot Shelf

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Find an Activity
  • Activity Membership
  • Learning Space
  • Free Printables
  • About HTS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Find an Activity
    • Activity Membership
    • Learning Space
    • Free Printables
    • About HTS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Fine motor skills activities

    Published: Oct 3, 2023 · Modified: Apr 19, 2024 by Amy Rosier · All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post may contain affiliate links.

    12 Fun Pincer Grasp Activities for Kids

    Imagine a world without the ability to pick up small objects, button a shirt, or hold a pencil. These seemingly simple tasks are made possible by a remarkable fine motor skill known as the pincer grasp. It's a skill we often take for granted, but it plays a crucial role in a child's development and daily life. 

    Preparing materials for fun and easy pincer grasp activities for kids

    In this blog post, we will explore why the pincer grasp is so important, how to nurture its development, and also share 12 engaging pincer grasp activities to promote this essential skill in children. It is never too early to set up these pincer grasp activities at home to encourage your child to strengthen their finger muscles.

    Jump to:
    • What Comes before Pincer Grasp?
    • What is Pincer Grasp?
    • Why is Pincer Grasp Important? 
    • 12 Fun and East Pincer Grasp Activities
    • Commonly Asked Questions about Pincer Grasp
    • Consistency is key to help your child master pincer grasp

    What Comes before Pincer Grasp?

    The first grip your baby will use is called raking grasp. This is where they curl their fingers towards their palm in order to pick up objects.

    What is Pincer Grasp?

    The pincer grasp is the ability to use the thumb and index finger to grasp and manipulate small objects with precision. The tip of the thumb and index finger come together to make the shape of a bird's beak. 

    Why is Pincer Grasp Important? 

    This fine motor skill is essential for daily practical life tasks such as buttoning clothes, picking up small items and handling utensils. At school age, pincer grasp facilitates effective pencil control and has a big part to play in the development of neat handwriting and drawing.

    Related: Build pre-writing skills and support handwriting development with these easy pre-writing activities!

    However, we can rewind this skill all the way back to babyhood and give your child the best possible start at developing dexterity through simple pincer grasp activities. These activities are targeted at developing the pinching motion between thumb and index finger. 

    Read on to find out more!

    12 Fun and East Pincer Grasp Activities

    These pincer grasp activities in this post are ordered by difficulty level, but some also include simple variations to make them more or less fiddly. Find an activity that feels right for your child and go from there; all children develop fine motor skills at different rates. Show them how to use the tips of their thumb and index finger and celebrate with them when they manage! 

    Pincer Grasp Activity 1: Playing with Blocks

    playing with blocks is a great activity for children to practice their pincer grasp

    Pincer Grasp Activity 2: Pom Poms in a Whisk

    Stuff pom poms inside a whisk

    Fill a whisk with large pom poms and use the thumb and index finger to take out one pom pom at a time.

    child uses pincer grasp to take pom poms out of a whisk

    Pincer Grasp Activity 3: Peeling tape/ Sticker Books

    Tape is an easy pincer grasp activity for toddlers

    Washi tape or painter’s tape work for this one. Encourage your child to pull the tape off with tip-to-tip thumb and index finger. Your child could also use a sticker book for the same task. These easy dot sticker activities are wonderful to hone your child's pincer grasp too.

    Pincer Grasp Activity 4:Using Tongs or Training Chopsticks

    Use tongs or training chopsticks to transfer pom poms from a bowl to a muffin tray

    Use kitchen equipment (such as small tongs or training chopsticks) to transfer objects from one bowl to another. You could otherwise use a mini-muffin tray or ice-cube trays for this. 

    Make it easier: Use large pom poms. 

    Make it harder: Use marbles.

    picking up marbles is a harder pincer grasp activity for older preschoolers

    Pincer Grasp Activity 5: Play Doh or Kinetic Sand: Pinch, Squish, Poke

    pinching playdough with thumb and index fingers

    Playing with playdough or kinetic sand is a fantastic activity that not only engages children's fine motor skills but also provides a sensory and enjoyable experience!

    Kinetic sand and playdough are both good options for a pincer grasp activity

    Related: Check out these fun playdough activities and our favorite homemade playdough recipe!

    Pincer Grasp Activity 6: Treasure Hunting

    use tongs to pick out treasures and gems inside play sand or kinetic sand

    Hide gems or beads in kinetic sand or play sand. Have your child look for these hidden treasures and pick them out with their fingers. 

    Treasure hunt pincer grasp activity

    Make it easier: Use a spoon, or hide larger objects such as dried pasta shapes.

    Make it harder: Hide sequins, or have your child use easy-grasp plastic tweezers instead.

    Pincer Grasp Activity 7: Use Easy-Grasp Plastic Tweezers

    transfer beads using tongs and sort them out in an egg tray

    Transfer objects from one container to another using small plastic tweezers. You could combine this with a sorting activity such as the one pictured, using an egg tray for the beads.

    tongs and pom poms make for an easy pincer grasp practice

    Make it easier: Use pom poms.

    gems and beads are harder pincer grasp activities, more challenging for older preschoolers

    Make it harder: Use gems or beads.

    Pincer Grasp Activity 8: Threading onto Pipe Cleaners

    thread beads onto pipe cleaners

    Pincer Grasp Activity 9: Make a Pipe Cleaner Porcupine!

    insert pipe cleaners into a colander

    Insert pipe cleaners into the holes of a colander. 

    Make it easier: Use a colander with large holes.

    Make it harder: Use a strainer with toothpicks, instead.

    Pincer Grasp Activity 10: Threading on Shoelaces

    thread alpahbet letters onto shoelaces as a pincer grasp and fine motor activity

    Pincer Grasp Activity 11: Pegs on the Washing Line

    pinch and place pegs on a washing line

    Pinch the pegs and place them on the washing line. This could also double as a pattern making activity.

    Make it easier: Use pegs and wide ribbon, as pictured.

    Make it harder: Use bulldogs clips or sandwich bag sealing clips, instead.

    bulldog clips and sandwich bag clips for fine motor practice

    Pincer Grasp Activity 12: Spaghetti Porcupine Fish

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Fynn Sor | Happy Tot Shelf (@happytotshelf)

    Commonly Asked Questions about Pincer Grasp

    What is pincer grasp? How do I help my child develop pincer grasp?

    The pincer grasp is the ability to use the thumb and index finger to pick up and manipulate small objects. To help your child develop this skill, provide small toys, engage in fine motor activities like threading beads, offer finger foods, and introduce child-sized utensils. Check out our list of fun and easy pincer grasp activities you can try with your little ones at home!

    Why does my child need to use Pincer Grasp?

    Pincer grasp is a necessary step in facilitating improved pencil control and consequently aiding neat handwriting. Better finger strength also contributes to greater independence in practical life tasks like buttoning and handling utensils. 

    What are the stages of Pincer Grasp development?

    Your child will begin by using the pads of their thumb and index finger to manipulate objects, Over time and with lots of practise, they will begin to develop confidence in bending both fingers to use the tip, instead. The latter is called neat pincer grasp and is best for pencil control.

    How do I know when my toddler is successfully using neat Pincer Grasp?

    You will notice they are beginning to pick up much smaller items with less fumbling and more precision, using tip-to-tip grip. They might pick up crumbs from the carpet, for example, or fluff from clothing.

    Consistency is key to help your child master pincer grasp

    This fine motor skill not only enables them to perform everyday practical life tasks with ease but also lays the foundation for more advanced skills like writing and drawing. With a supportive environment and fun, age appropriate activities, you can help children hone their pincer grasp. The most important thing is consistency, so try to build these activities into routine at home. 

    We hope your toddler will have fun strengthening their finger muscles with these fun pincer grasp activities! 

    For more fun fine motor practice, check out these 10 Painting Activities which Support Fine Motor Development.

    More Fine Motor Skills Activities

    • Materials for easy scissor skill development activities for preschoolers
      A Guide to Scissor Skills Development in Preschoolers 
    • 10 Painting Activities which Support Fine Motor Development
    • Save the Dinosaurs and Other Rescue Activities for Your Preschoolers
      Save the Dinosaurs and Other Rescue Activities for Your Preschoolers
    • 8 Educational Playdough Activities for Kids

    Sharing is caring!

    138 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    About Amy Rosier

    Amy Rosier is a primary school teacher based in Cambridge, UK. She has eight years of classroom teaching experience in London, Cambridge and Shanghai. She is passionate about early childhood education and thinking outside the box to find creative and engaging ways to get children to overcome obstacles in their learning.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Milka says

      December 19, 2023 at 12:41 am

      Lovely activities here!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there! I’m Fynn—educator, author, and mom of three. I believe a lifelong love of learning starts at home, and I’m here to help you nurture that spark. Together, let’s create joyful learning experiences that strengthen bonds and inspire curiosity for both you and your little ones!

    More about me →

    Spring Activities for Kids

    • Garden Theme Learning Activities for Kids
      Garden Theme Learning Activities and Learning Shelf
    • fun spring activities for kids such as this button bouquet
      15 Spring Activities For Kids to Celebrate the Season
    • Counting Flowers Activity for Preschoolers
    • Snail Shapes printable activity for children to learn early math
      Snail Shapes Cut and Match Activity

    Popular Posts

    • Fun number activities for kids
      10 Low Prep Number Activities for Preschoolers to Play at Home 
    • Haircut Number Game - A fun counting and cutting activity for preschoolers
      Haircut Number Game - A fun counting and cutting activity for preschoolers
    • Preschoolers learn to read by segmenting and blending CVC words, using this printable activity
      Learn to Read Part 3: CVC Words for Preschoolers
    • Easy printable phonics activities for preschoolers
      Learn to Read Part 1: Hands-On Phonics Activities for Preschoolers 

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Fynn
    • Meet the HTS Team
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use

    Resources

    • Activity Index
    • Activity Membership
    • Free Printable
    • Learning Space Course

    Buy my books

    • Sibling Activity Book
    • Happy Learning Math Books

    Copyright © 2023 Happy Tot Shelf

    138 shares